They were closing in on rookie quarterback Matt McGloin and he had no place to run, no place to hide. He was not going to dance his way out of this one.

The game ended five minutes earlier, the Raiders beating the Texans 28-23. McGloin, who came to camp as a non-drafted fourth-stringer, threw three touchdown passes and led the team beautifully.

He was the last player off the field, having been horse-collared to do a TV interview.

"A bunch of guys jumped on him, gave him a hug," center Stefen Wisniewski said. "Coach gave him the game ball. It was pretty cool. ... He played his butt off and won his first NFL game. His story's unbelievable. I'm really happy for the kid, really."

Wisniewski was at Penn State when McGloin arrived, playing his way from walk-on to starter, and here we go again. Head coach Dennis Allen didn't make an announcement Sunday, but McGloin has a really good chance to go on scholarship.

Start next Sunday? Book it.

Allen would not commit to that, but McGloin all but guaranteed himself at least one more shot, and some insiders will tell you it's now his job to lose.

Terrelle Pryor, who stayed home with a sore knee, might be ready to play next Sunday, but he'll be in the bullpen.

And so the Matt McGloin saga will continue, and here's a brief recap:

Despite his record-setting career at Penn State, McGloin was not one of the 16 quarterbacks invited to the combine, and he was not drafted. He made a highlight video of himself, narrated by himself, and sent it to every NFL team. The Raiders took the bait. Were they smart or desperate?

They signed the kid to be what is known as a "camp arm," a sideline chucker. When we start looking for a nickname for McGloin, "Camp Arm" will be a candidate.

By working, performing and throwing the snot out of the ball - he "gave us fits" running the scout team, says linebacker Kevin Burnett - McGloin wormed his way into the picture, climbing the ladder when Tyler Wilson was cut and Matt Flynn was waived.

McGloin is a relentless eager beaver, so when Pryor was injured, the stumpy (6-foot-1), not-fleet-footed redhead got the call.

His first pass Sunday was a 5-yard touchdown dart to Denarius Moore. Two drives later, he threw a 16-yard TD pass to Rod Streater.

Simply, McGloin took charge. He threw decisively, with zip. It was as if P.J. Carlesimo had given him a pregame speech, "Put some mustard on it!"

Raiders wideout Andre Holmes, who also came in this year as a free agent, said, "My first impression was that he can sling the ball. He has a nice arm. He stepped up today and showed a lot of poise. We expected that, seeing him all of camp and all year in practice."

McGloin seemed to find his second and third receivers. He played very efficiently, with moments of startling excellence and few mistakes.

After the game, McGloin's attorney stepped to the news-conference podium to issue a statement on behalf of his client.

Wait, my bad. That wasn't McGloin's attorney, it was McGloin himself. He fooled me with the serious face, serious business suit, neatly cropped hair and beard, and professional, understated demeanor.

"It just feels great being out there," McGloin said.

He also said he was preparing right up until game time because, "The hay is never in the barn."

Of his and the team's performance, McGloin said, "It's what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

So was McGloin studying the playbook or his grandma's stitched wall samplers?

He politely brushed aside questions about next Sunday, and said of Pryor, "We have a very healthy relationship. This is his team. He was really there (helping McGloin) throughout the whole way. I'm happy to be playing quarterback with him."

Uh, actually, in most NFL formations, there is only one quarterback. For now, the Raiders' one is McGloin.

If this is a debate, nobody in the Raiders' locker room will be taking sides. The players saw Pryor come out of nowhere and do good things and work hard to earn the starting job. He's still in the picture.

So it's a situation in flux, but for now: McGloin.

In huddles Sunday, he was confident, even jokey.

"He made fun of (guard Lucas) Nix a couple times, stupid jokes to keep it loose," Wisniewski said. "And he got fired up, too, after some of his big throws, which is nice to see, the passion."

Rookie tackle Menelik Watson rolled an ankle in the fourth quarter, and while down on the grass on all fours, he looked up to see McGloin standing over him, urging him to get up, offering a hand.